Amin Abbas

DUBAI: Curtains closed on the 7th annual edition of the world’s largest photography festival that happened from Feb. 9 – 15 organized by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), after the weeklong event welcomed more than 20,000 enthusiasts of art, film, and photography.

Xposure this year was a more diverse and inclusive celebration as it successfully attracted and enlightened hundreds of students, art collectors, traders, directors, producers, architects, conservationists and scientists – not just the photographers’ community – throughout the seven-day festival.

The 7th annual edition of the ‘Xposure’ International Photography Festival offered exciting opportunities for children, teens and young photography enthusiasts to learn, play, engage and contribute to the seven-day event.

Children and their families explored 68 solo and group exhibitions that intrigue, inform and entertain, offering young visitors visually stunning lessons on different cultures, nature and wildlife, space exploration, automobiles and architecture, and much more.

Another interesting activation ‘Spacetoon’ set up at the Xposure’s trade show space offered children an interactive platform where they learned to take pictures and enjoying painting.

Xposure 2023 also saw a record number of participation in its 63 workshops; was houseful for most of the 41 talks and seminars which were led by the world’s top photographers and filmmakers; held a successful and insightful second edition of the Conservation Summit which pressed on the urgent need to reverse the accelerated pace and impact of climate change; and also hosted exciting conversations on its newly launched feature Stage X – a platform that hosted photographers, cinematographers, directors, art experts, leading photography brands to enrich Xposure’s overall offerings.

More than 50 portfolio reviews, 16 focus groups, a trade show, book signings, guided exhibition tours by photographers, and two awards ceremonies to celebrate exceptional works by photographers spanning diverse genres offered unique opportunities for learning and creative explorations.

The 7-day international festival was organized in partnership with a distinguished list of partners, exhibitors, and supporters including Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, Sharjah Media City (Shams), Sharjah Academy of Astronomy, Space Sciences & Technology, Samsung Gulf, Fuji Film, Leica, NIKON, CANON, Future Art Broadcast Trading, Grand Stores, Advanced Media, Hot Cold Studio, IbrandConnect, Analog the Room, Action Films Rentals and Studios and BHM Store.